Vinyl - Advice

[Panther]

We've come across a long buried box of various vinyl albums. After much discussion, we figured it was given to the ex by an old dj friend of ours from the 80's. Guy was supurb at only using the albums once to make his tapes, so the majority of them are in great condition. Some have the original posters (never even opened to look at) and a couple have some odd inclusions - one, I can't remember off the top of my head, has a neat menu like booklet that has a whole series of band photos. Right now I've instructed him to put them back in the box and quit handling them until I can get over there for a proper inventory. There's some Zep, Skynyrd, Ozzy, Styx, AC/DC, etc.

Any advise or suggestions on setting these babies up for sales? Like I said, I've not visually seen them just yet so I have no real idea of the condition of the actual vinyl itself. But knowing fan bases... he should be able to make something off these. Ahem... I've already laid claim to five. lol

[Triple S]

When I met my husband he had a large vinyl collection, most in pristine condition (he was also a DJ in the 80’s). I had a fair number myself – we gave the duplicates to a friend. A few years ago I bought this big reference book (can’t remember the name) that had listed what seemed like virtually every album made. It included years, various editions of each album if applicable, etc. and the estimated value. Surprisingly we didn’t have that many that were worth big dollars according to this book, so we just ended up keeping most of our collection. I’m sure there are collectors out there that are always looking for something specific but we didn’t have the time to hunt them down.

[The Sushi Hunter]

Ebay is a good start for the research tool. I'd suggest going onto ebay and checking all the albums you have one by one to see if 1) they are being auctioned on there and if so how much, 2) if they are selling. This is actually an accurate way to see if they are selling and if so, for how much. For example, If you find the same album that you have on ebay and say there are "x" bids in on it and it's at "x" dollars, this will give you an idea on how much it's worth. Remember it's only worth what people are willing to pay for it, so....don't count all the same albums that have zero bids or no one is willing to pay for the asking price. That should tell you if any album you have is special and worth anything.

[gr8dane]

When I met my husband he had a large vinyl collection, most in pristine condition (he was also a DJ in the 80’s). I had a fair number myself – we gave the duplicates to a friend. A few years ago I bought this big reference book (can’t remember the name) that had listed what seemed like virtually every album made. It included years, various editions of each album if applicable, etc. and the estimated value. Surprisingly we didn’t have that many that were worth big dollars according to this book, so we just ended up keeping most of our collection. I’m sure there are collectors out there that are always looking for something specific but we didn’t have the time to hunt them down.

There's a magazine that is called Goldmine if I remember correctly,that describes the albums as you mentioned.
Maybe they have a book out too.

[No Surprize]

Yep, you could sell them on ebay for sure. You have to get some record mailers and pack them so they will withstand the rigors of the mail system. Some albums, mostly from the 70's like original Led Zeps, Pink Floyd can get a pretty penny. As Far as 80's albums, I don't know unless you can sell Ed that Kajagoogoo lp he so desperately wants.

[The Sushi Hunter]

Yep, you could sell them on ebay for sure. You have to get some record mailers and pack them so they will withstand the rigors of the mail system. Some albums, mostly from the 70's like original Led Zeps, Pink Floyd can get a pretty penny. As Far as 80's albums, I don't know unless you can sell Ed that Kajagoogoo lp he so desperately wants.

Yeah, if you are going to also sell them on ebay, not just look to see which ones may be in demand, you will probably have to plan on only receiving about 75% of the sale price, if your lucky. Because ebay charges, then paypall charges for you to use their websit to move money, shipping cost such as shipping materials, insurance, etc. and fuel to bring it to the shipper, etc. it all adds up and you lose roughly 25% of what you sold each item for, collectively. I know people who do ebay and that's what their stats have indicated on average.

I use ebay to help me decide whether or not to sell, give to friend, donate, or toss. And yeah, 80's records are almost worthless for some reason or the other, even if they are brand new and still unopened. Not so many people even have record players anymore. CD's and computer files is primarily what interest many these days I guess.

[yulog]

I had 3-400 albums like this most still in there plastic wrap and moving around so much I couldn't be bothered to keep moving them and the local stores would only give pennies for them so I left them out behind the gate of where the garbage was picked up at our complex. 1st box was gone before I came back with the 2nd one

[The Sushi Hunter]

....the local stores would only give pennies for them so I left them out behind the gate of where the garbage was picked up at our complex. 1st box was gone before I came back with the 2nd one

That sounds about right. And whoever got them after you put them out, they most likely tried to sell them but soon realized why you had put them out in the first place.